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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Oct 2009 : 17:38:06
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Culled from The Daily News
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Let’s Save the African Commission
The African Commission has sent strong words to the government of the Gambia in respect of its human rights credentials and called on the government to take some corrective measures, otherwise there is a possible change of venue of the next meeting of The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights scheduled to take place in Banjul.
At its 7th Extraordinary Session held from 5 -11 October, 2009 in Dakar Senegal the Commission deliberated on the deteriorating human rights situation in The Gambia. The meeting indicated that the human rights situation in the Republic of The Gambia has attracted the attention of the African Commission in particular, arising from the alleged statement made by President Jammeh on 21 September 2009 during a public national television address.
In another regional organization’s assessment of our Human Right status, The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and other Human Rights NGOs, concluded three day meetings in Banjul were also not satisfied with our human rights status. Like the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, they expressed their disappointment with our human rights situation, and described it as one that is deteriorating. It is the strong view of the ECOWAS NGOs that the government of the Gambia needs to do better in the area of press freedom, and that political opponents should be given the due rights that they deserve. They were not happy with the way the press is treated and that this leaves much to be desired.
In their 2009 report Amnesty International indicated that the Human Rights situation in The Gambia has left much to be desired, and that the violations of people’s rights are just too much. The report indicated that the press has suffered a lot in the hands of the state. It mentioned the case of the six journalists who were earlier sentenced but pardon, the case of the disappeared journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh, and that of the killing of Deyda Hydara in which case there are no more investigations, all of these do not go down well with people’s rights.
With the above points raised by these reputable international organizations, it is a fitting question to ask, what is wrong with our human rights? Is it not high time that our government takes the positions of these reputable organizations very seriously? Interestingly, then Gambia is a host to the African Commission for many years now. Why should we allow the head quarters of this important organization to be relocated? That will be the greatest mistake on the side of the Gambia and its government.
The Gambia should do all within its means to make sure that the African Commission stays. If its relocation should come as a result of our poor human right records as the case is at hand, Gambians will not be able to raise their heads among other Africans. For some who may not know, the African Commission came here as a result of our good human right records in the 80s; it will be a disgrace for the government of the Gambia and its people for it to be relocated because of deteriorating human right records. This is a challenge for all, be it government, civil society members and any other good citizen.
What the government of the day can do, and immediately is to set up a serious commission of enquiry assigned to look into all the allegations, ranging from the forced disappearances, the clandestine arson attacks on the media, the alleged tortures of individuals, detentions without trial, and the closure of media houses. But above all, the President has to avoid using words like “I will kill”. This cannot go down well with international standards. The most the President can say in respect of people who want to destabilize the peace of our dear country is that, such people “will face the full force of the law”
I hope that the Gambia will continue to be a host to the African Commission for Human and People’s Right and the Africa Center for Democracy and Human Right Studies as it will be disgraceful to see these organizations go out, on the basis of our poor human right status
Source: The Daily News
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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